Bathing suit



P. A. sAvARp 1,800,960

Aprilf14, 1931.

BATHING SUIT Filed Aug. 4, 1930 /inlumum jill/j.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATESv PHILIPPE AUGUSTE SAVARD, OF ST.AMER-OISE; QUEBEC, CANADA' BATHING SUIT Application filed august 4,le20, serieu nominees, une in canaria Agni 24, 1930.

The present invention pertains to a novel bathing suit, and theprincipal object is to provid-e a device of this character havingconsiderable buoyancy so that it may be used by 5 beginners in swimmingor generally for safety purposes on the water.

Among the principal.features of the invention is the fact that thebuoyant elements, which are of an inflatable nature, may be i blown upwhile the suit is being worn in the water. The buoyantJ elements arepreferably in the form of bags provided at the chest and back portionsof the suit and preferably secured between the two plies of fabric ofwhich the suit is made. The bags are interconnected, and a filling tubeextends from one of them to a point beneath one of the shoulder strapsof the suit. A small flap form-ed in this strap may be unfastened toexpose the end of the filling tube, whereby the bags may be filled withairkblown from the mouth of the wearer while in the water as statedabove.

Another feature of the invention is that the bags may readily bedeflated, whereupon the device occupies no greater volume than theordinary bathing suit for packing purposes and may also be worn underordinary street clothing in a deflated condition.

The bags are so positioned as not to interfere with the freedom ofmovement of the wearer and are further of such a nature that replacementthereof and other parts of the suit is quite simple. It will be evidentthat the suit may be worn by passengers. on all types of sea-goingvessels for emergency or life-saving purposes and in such cases isreadily brought into an operative and buoyant condition by inflationfrom the mouth of the wearer in the manner already described.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bathing suit;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

3 is a section of the line 3 3 of Flg. 1, Fig. l 1s a section on theline 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1. Reference to these viewswill now be made by use of like characters which are employed todesignate corresponding parts throughout. The bathing suit, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, has the usual outward appearance but ispreferably made of twothicknesses of fabric indicated by the numerals 1and 2 in Fig. 4. At certain points at the front and back, preferably atthe chest and across the shoulder blades, the two thicknesses of fabricare separated as indicated by the numeral in such a manner as to provideforward pockets l and a rear pocket 5. In these pockets is located aninflatable bag or bladder member similar to the well known water wings.`This member is of such a nature asy to substantially fill the pockets land 5 and therefore comprises two bag sections 6 fitted inthe forwardpockets l and a rear back section 7 fitted in the back pocket 5. Theforward pockets `are interconnected at their upper ends by an integralthroat 8, while the eXtreme outward sides of the forward pockets areconnected to the ends of the rear pocket by similar integral throats 9.For the purpose of inflating or deflating the device when desired, thereis provided a tube 10 extending `from the upper end of one of theforward pockets 6 to a point beneath one of the shoulder straps 11. Asuitable valve (not shown), preferably a check valve, is provided inthetube 10. A liap 12 is formed in the shoulder strap 11 over the end ofthe tube 10 and is normally held to the body of the strap by a suitablesnap fastener 13. When it is desired to innate the bags, it is merelynecessary to lift the flap as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 whereuponthe wearer may readily bring his mouth to the tube 10 in order to blowair into the bags.

It will be apparent that the device may thus be lilled even when in thewater and that, apart from the volume of the bags, it is no morevoluminous than the ordinary bathing suit. Moreover, it may be wornunder the ordinary clothing, with the bags deflated, in the same mannerthat an ordinary bathing suit is now often worn.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, Vit will be understood that vario-us alterations in thedetails of construction may be made Y Without departing from the scopeof the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a bathing suit, iniiatable bag mem- A bers at theforward and back portions thereof andinterconneeted, said bathing. suitcomprising .shoulder Vstraps, a filling tube extending from one of saidbag members and dis- 10 posed beneath one of said straps, anda flapformed in said strap and adaptedftouncover said tube. Y

2. In a bathing suit of two-ply thick-ness and having shoulder straps,an inflatable 15 member disposed between s aid plies, a filling tubeextending .from said member and disposed beneath one of said straps, anda Hap formednin-saidV strap and adapted to uncoverrsaid tnbe. vv'20,PHILIPPE AUGUSTE SAVARD- Cil foso..

